Upholstery construction



Jan. 2 1940. A, M. BANK UPHOLSTERY CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. A51,1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY mylgca alil 29 1940. A. M. BANK l 1852396 UPHOLSTERY CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR [yy/1 @Amm/ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1940 iNlTED STATES A'rsr UPHOLSTERY CONSTRUCTION Application December 31, 1936, Serial No. 118,537

2 Claims.

This invention relates to upholstery construction. It is particularly directed to an upholstered resilient support for a chair, seat, sofa, or the like articles.

An object of this invention is to provide an upholstered resilient support of the character described, having a highly improved soft edge construction including strip springs attached to the frame and being arched or bent back to provide a resilient edge for the support.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a spring support of the character described, means for interlocking the arched springs to the foundation spring.

Yet another object oi this invention is to provide a strong and durable upholstered resilient Support of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, comfortable in use, which may be incorporated into a large variety of upholstered articles of furniture, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown one oi? the various possible illustrative ernbodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an upholstered resilient support embodying the invention, with parts broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of my improved resilient support, with parts broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l, but illustrata modied form ci the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the strip springs used in carrying out my invention;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a further modified form oi the invention;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 'i-l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detailed view taken on line -S of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a piece of covcred wire used in the form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 6;

Figs. 10 and l1 are perspective views of strip springs embodying the invention;

Fig. l2 is a View similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating a further modified form of the structure shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. i3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line l3-|3 of Fig. 12.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I designates a resilient or cushioned upholstered support, embodying the invention, here shown for the purpose of illustration in the form of a chair back, although it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in seats or backs for chairs, sofas, or the like articles. The support IG comprises a frame Il made of Wood 0r other suitable material and having a top portion i2 and side portions I3. Attached to the underside of the frame Il is webbing I4 supporting a plurality of foundation springs l5. In Figs. l and 2 there is shown, for the purpose of illustration, a one-piece webbing of textile iabric, for example, burlap, although any suitable support or the foundation springs l may be employed, such as interwoven strip webbing or metal strips. The foundation springs i5 are shown in the drawings as of the hour glass shape, although it will be understood that any coil foundation springs may be employed.

Attached to the frame l2 at the margins thereof are inner and outer sheets l?, i3 forming a casing i9 filled with padding or stung 29 of any suitable kind. An outer covering 2l may be placed over the casing sheet i8 and a covering 22 may be supplied to cover the webbing is. The foundation springs l5 are interposed between the webbing lil and the padded casing i9 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be noted that the foundation springs i5 are arranged in parallel rows. As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the outer convolutions of adjacent foundation springs are clipped together by clips 22 at the point of tangency. Elongated parallel wires 23 disposed between adjacent rows of springs, are also clamped by the clips 22 whereby to form the foundation springs into a unit. Clips 22a and connecting wires 23a may also be supplied on the outer sides of the unit.

In accordance with my invention and for the purpose of providing a soit edge for the spring D made of a fiat, thin, elongated, resilient piece of steel and is formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 25 at one end 30 thereof, and with a plurality of spaced, alternating, longitudinal and transverse slots 2l' and 23 adjacent the other end 33 thereof. The strips 25 are normally nat. In Fig. 5 the strip is shown in the position it assumes when incorporated into a spring support or cushion.

One end 3@ of each strip spring 25 is attached as by a nail or other fastening means 3i to the underside of the portion I2 of the frame. The nail 3i passes through one of the openings 25. The spring 25 is then arched or bent back and the outer end 33 thereof is placed beneath one of the wires 23 and in valignment therewith and beneath adjacent portions of the outer convolutions of a pair of adjacent foundation springs E 5. The wires 23 are each provided with inwardly or downwardly humped or offset portions 35 eX- tending through one of the openings 2l in a spring 25.

t will be noted that the offset portions 36 on the parallel wires 23 are in alignment. A transverse wire iii passes through the offset portions and beneath the outer ends 33 of the springs 25 for interlocking said springs with the wires 23 and hence with the foundation springs. The outer ends di of the wire di] may be bent around adjacent strips 25 to prevent longitudinal shifting of said wire. It will be noted that the springs 25 press outwardly on the stuffed portion or casing i9 of the cushion forming what is termed a soft edge. Chair backs made with spring supports shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings are comfortable in use because the use of the springs 25 reduces the amount of stufng necessary `at the top edge of the chair back. The spring strips may be quickly and easily assembled with the foundation spring unit.

In Fig. 4 there is shown an upholstered resilient support Elia having soft edges on two sides at right angles to one another. One side may be constructed as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The spring strips 25 of the other side being at right angles to the wires 23 receive the offset portions 55 in one of the transverse slots 28. By providing both transverse and longitudinal slots in the strip 25 said strip may be used in both positions shown in Fig. 4.- of the drawings. By providing a plurality of openings 25 and a plurality of slots 21 and 28, the arch or curvature of the member 25 may be adjusted to suit the particular requirement. Furthermore, the end 35 of the spring 25 may be attached either to the outer side or the underside of the frame l2 depending upon'the design of the chair.

fn Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, there is shown a chair back Mib embodying the invention.. As shown in said figures, there is attached to the frame il a plurality of parallel, fiat, supporting steel strips l5 on which are mounted foundation springs d5. The outer convolutions of the foundation springs' are formed with integral inwardly offset portions 4l. A plurality of strip springs 25, such as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, or fil, shown in Fig. 10, may be incorporated into the chair back lilb, one end being attached to the frame and the other end pressing outwardly against the inner side of the stuffed casing portion I9 of the chair back. The outer end of the strip spring engages the outer convolution of the foundation spring 'i6 and receives the offset portion 41 in a longitudinal slot formed at the outer end thereof. Springs d1 or 25 may be supplied for each side of each foundation spring, as shown in Fig. 6. A piece of covered wire, such as shown in Fig. 9, may be inserted within each offset portion below the strip spring and twisted, as shown at 50 in Fig. 7, to lock the strip spring to the foundation spring. If desired, an elongated piece of covered wire 5l, shown in Fig. 9, may be passed through the aligned offset portions lil in said foundation springs, as shown at 52 in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The wire 5I may comprise a metal core 54 with an outer covering 55 of paper or fabric. Ordinary electric insulated wire may also be used to interlock the foundation springs 46 to the strip springs connected thereto.

In Fig. l2 of the drawings is disclosed a chair back Hic embodying the invention, and in which are incorporated strip springs 55 shown in Fig. il of the drawings. The strips 55 have transverse slots 5B at the outer ends thereof. They are attached to the frame H as described heretofore. They are located, however, between. the foundation springs and are not connected to the foundation springs. The outer ends of the strips 55 are interconnected by a piece of corrugated wire 69 formed with a plurality of offsets 6l. An adjacent offset is inserted through ie slot 58 of each strip 55 and interlocked by a piece of twisted wire or cord or insulated wire, such as shown in Fig. 9, the twisted wire being designated by numerals 65 in Fig. 13.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new my desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a chair back, a frame, web means attached to said frame, foundation springs supported on said web means, a stuffed casing attached to said frame and overlying said frame, said foundation springs being interposed between said web means and said casing, a wire interconnecting a plurality of said foundation springs and being formed with an offset portion, a strip spring attached at one end to said frame and being IieXed backwardly into curved shape, said strip spring being formed with an opening receiving said offset portion, and a member passing through said offset portion to lock said strip spring to said wire.

2. In upholstery construction, a frame, web means for said frame, foundation springs on said web means, a plurality of strip springs each attached at one end to said frame and bent into curved shape, wires connecting the outer convolutions of said foundation springs and having offset portions, said strip springs having openings receiving said offset portion, and a member passing through said offset portions and engaging said strip springs.

ALBERT M. BANK. 

